Conventional photographs have existed for well over one hundred years, and to this day continue to be a very popular way of capturing visual images for future viewing. However, conventional photographs do have some shortcomings, especially with the advent of video cameras that allow for recording both video clips as well as audio segments. Conventional photographic prints, on the other hand, do not have sound playback capabilities associated with them. Thus, while those photographs do provide visual enjoyment, there is no aural stimulation associated with conventional photographs.
Others have proposed methods of capturing sound using recording devices such as EPROM's, and magnetic media and magnetic write heads. Examples of these methods and devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,276,472 and 5,128,700, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. In these prior art methods the captured sound segment would typically be recorded in a sound card, and a bar code or the like would be printed on the corresponding printed image to serve as an address link between that photograph and the corresponding audio segment. Then, a specially designed machine would read the address data and retrieve the corresponding audio segment from the sound card for playback. Alternatively, the audio segment would be recorded on a magnetic tape and the tape adhered to the printed image. This embodiment similarly calls for a specially configured device in order to play back the audio segment stored on the magnetic tape.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,363,157 and 5,363,158, the rights to which have been assigned to the assignee of the rights in the present invention, a special camera is disclosed that provides for capturing sound at the time an exposure is made, and for optically recording that captured sound as encoded data onto the same film that was used to capture the image. The disclosures of these patents are incorporated herein by reference. The patents disclose exposing a portion of the film with an image, and then optically writing the corresponding audio segment on an adjacent frame. These prior art methods, while being quite satisfactory for their intended purposes, do have some drawbacks. In particular, these methods disclose that the sound data recorded on the film is decoded directly from the film in order to retrieve the audio segments. The sound must then be linked in some manner to the appropriate photographic print. In some instances the sound is decoded from the film and reproduced in another form, such as a bar code that is attached to the photographic print or as a bar code directly printed on the extended edge of the print. Thus this method similarly calls for a special printing device such as an LED in addition to the conventional optical printer used to create a hard copy print from the negative of the image. The bar code either contains the sound data itself or else contains an address pointer to a location in memory where the sound data associated with that print was stored. Thus, these prior art methods all require some specially designed device in order to read the sound data or the audio segment location data.
In addition, many of the prior art devices and methods that allow a user to record an audio segment along with the capture of a visual image do not provide a realistic reproduction of the audio segment recorded. In the first place, the prior art devices only provide one microphone on the camera, and thus will only record one audio segment per image, and will likely fail to record audio emanating from the sides of the area being photographed. In addition, no provision is made in the prior art methods for varying the reproduced audio based upon a user's preference. Therefore, there is no ability for a viewer of the image to select from one or more audio segments associated with the image, or to select an area of interest in the image and to hear the audio originating from that area of the image.
Accordingly, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that there continues to be a need for a system for recording and playing back audio segments that does not require a device designed especially for that purpose. In addition, there continues to be a need for a system that provides more flexibility in playing back audio segments and that provides more realistic, surround sound capabilities. The present invention addresses these needs and others.